Greek Affairs: Claiming His Child: The Greek's Million-Dollar Baby Bargain / The Greek Millionaire's Secret Child / The Greek's Long-Lost Son. Rebecca Winters
Now he looked up, and got to his feet. He strolled across the sand, and Ann did not like to see the way his legs seemed so long in his chinos, or the way his T-shirt moulded to his powerful torso.
Solemnly he inspected both sand holes. ‘Ann’s is wider, but Ari’s is deeper,’ he pronounced.
‘I win!’ shouted Ari excitedly. He turned to his aunt. ‘You have to dig them the deepest,’ he explained. He dropped his spade to the sand. ‘Can we swim now, Uncle Nikki—can we?’
He’d spoken in Greek, and Ann could not understand him. Nikos glanced at Ann. ‘Well, does your English sang froid run to a dip in the Aegean at this time of year?’ he enquired laconically.
She gave a shrug. ‘I’m happy to go in with Ari,’ she said.
As well as not liking the way his legs seemed so long, or his torso so powerful, she also did not like the way he was looking at her. A veiled look that did things to her breathing she did not want it to.
‘Good,’ he said, and then he said something to Ari which Ann assumed was assent.
She had no objection to taking Ari into the water, however cold it might be. It would get her away from Nikos. He could sit in the sun and read his magazine and welcome. But as she scrambled to her feet, dusting sand off her knees and hands, she froze. Nikos, it seemed, was intending to go in the sea as well.
He was stripping off. Before her frozen eyes, he proceeded to divest himself of his chinos and polo shirt down to bare skin.
She stared, open-mouthed.
His body was fantastic. And there was so much of it! The golden shoulders were just as broad as she’d always known they’d be, his back long and smooth, his legs longer and not smooth—fuzzed with a sheen of dark hair over taut muscles that was echoed in the narrow arrowing above the waistband of his hip-hugging bathing trunks. Whether he worked out or it just came naturally, his abdominal muscles were unblemished by an ounce of fat, and the smooth, olive-hued pectorals were likewise perfect.
As he finished undressing, he glanced at Ann. For a moment his eyes stayed veiled, as if observing her reaction. Then, with an indolent, satisfied smile, he reached out one long index finger under her chin and closed her mouth.
‘Your turn,’ he invited softly. ‘Or should I say—my turn?’
He stood, casually poised, with all the natural grace of a Greek statue but with absolutely none of its Platonic virtues, and waited for her to do likewise and disrobe—so he could watch her the way she had watched him.
As she stood stiff and immobile, he gave her a taunting smile.
‘Don’t worry, I’ve checked it out already. You pass muster.’
She started, confused. He enlightened her. ‘By the pool. You were sunbathing.’
Colour mounted in her cheek as the penny dropped and subconscious memory flooded back. ‘You touched me!’ she accused, outraged. God, she thought she’d been dreaming, and all along the hand that she’d imagined stroking over her back had been real. Had been his. Eyes flashing with anger she dropped down to help Ari inflate his armbands and take his T-shirt off.
She heard a mocking laugh, lightly running feet, and then, her eyes automatically flying upwards, she saw Nikos Theakis launching itself into the azure water, splashing loudly in the quietness all around them. As he headed out to sea with long, powerful strokes, Ann dragged her eyes away. Grimly, she helped Ari get ready for swimming.
‘You have to come in too!’ said Ari.
‘After lunch,’ she said, sliding his armbands on and checking their fit. ‘Anyway, I take ages changing, and Uncle Nikki is already in the water. I’ll come and watch you both.’
Accepting this compromise, Ari hammered over the sand to the water’s edge, shouting enthusiastically in Greek to the figure cutting through the water. Watching Ari plunge in, and his uncle halt his swimming to meet him, Ann did her best to ignore the way the sunlight played on the hard, lean torso, glistening with water, and on the sleek, slicked back hair and thick, sea-wet eyelashes.
Oh, God, he really is gorgeous to look at …
She felt her stomach hollow out, and not just with dismay …
Deliberately she flicked her gaze to Ari, keeping it fixed on him. Against her will, she had to concede that Nikos Theakis, unspeakable though he was, was a great companion for a four-year-old child. Over and over again he hefted Ari up and tossed him into the sea. Ari yelled with glee. He played chasing games and piggybacking, and aeroplaned him around above the water. Without her realising it, a smile came to her lips as she watched them.
Then they were wading out of the water. Ari was rushing up and giving her a wet hug, describing all the things that Uncle Nikki and he had done, asking if she’d seen them, and she was taking off his armbands and wrapping his sturdy little body in a towel. At his uncle she did not look at all. Not at all.
But back at the camp she had to, like it or not.
Energy levels quite undimmed by his marine exertions, Ari hopped about from one foot to the other while Ann creamed sun lotion into him. The sun was getting higher now, and even his darker skin tone needed protection.
‘Have you cream on your face, Ann?’ The question made her look up, and immediately she wished she hadn’t.
Nikos was standing, legs apart, his back to the sun, ruffling his hair dry with a towel. He looked—magnificent.
Ann tightened her mouth. ‘Yes, I put it on before we set off.’
‘You should top up,’ Nikos told her. ‘Even with your tan you can still burn, and that would ruin that flawless complexion of yours.’
Tight-lipped, Ann applied more sun lotion to herself, knowing the truth of what Nikos had said, despite the way he’d said it. Her complexion was none of his damn business …
Ari tugged at her sleeve. ‘It’s time to build a sandcastle,’ he announced. ‘A big one.’
Ann was only too willing. Anything to keep her busy and away from Nikos. She watched as Ari seized his spade and set off to select a good site, just beyond the sand holes, settling down to work. Ann reached for the sun lotion cap and started to screw it on, her eyes focussed on her task—focussed on whatever took her gaze away from where Nikos was lowering himself down with muscular grace on to the rug, leaning back against a large rock, legs stretching out in front of him. Perilously close to her.
But she refused to pull away, calmly returning the sun cream to her beach bag. As she did, Nikos spoke.
‘So,’ he drawled, ‘do you intend to remain covered up neck to ankle the whole day?’
‘I’ve told Ari I’ll swim after lunch,’ she said. Involuntarily her eyes flickered across to him as she got to her feet.
He lounged back, his drying hair feathering on his forehead, a pair of sunglasses over his nose, swimming trunks hugging his lean hips. The ultimate male. For a helpless moment she could only stare. Could only let him see her stare. Knowing that although she could not see his eyes, his could see her—see her reaction to him.
His mouth curved.
‘Look all you want, Ann,’ he said generously. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ He gave a soft laugh and picked up his magazine again. ‘Off you go now,’ he said. ‘Ari needs a labourer.’
Stiffly, Ann strode off, hating herself.
But not as much as she hated Nikos Theakis.
CHAPTER FOUR
SHE WENT ON hating him for the rest of the day, but she would not spoil it for Ari. Having built his huge and complex castle—a task which Ann had discovered she enjoyed hugely, despite the knowledge that Nikos was only a few metres away, and that Ari regularly invited him to comment approvingly on progress so far—Ari